Living Among Humans
by Ion Halo
Summary: AU where the humans finally return to Earth from the Moon. After the Machine War, 21O, 2B and 9S decide to live on Earth, alongside the humans. They learn more about human life as time goes by, and many amazing adventures await them.
1. Chapter 1: We're Moving to Earth!

**This is an AU inspired by 2B and 9S's discussion when they're at the forest area for the first time. I haven't written an AU fic before, so I might make some mistakes. It's kind of sad that this will never actually happen, though. But anyway, do enjoy the story!**

The war between androids and machines has stretched on for many years. In the end, the androids finally liberated Earth from the threat of the machines, thanks to 2B and 9S, and also the YoRHa androids. The reconstruction of Earth after the Machine War would not be easy, but time will always get things done. One day, Earth was finally back to the state before the humans were first attacked by the machines. Despite the insufficient data, they still managed to model it after the 21st century. The Council of Humanity had made sure that the pollution levels and waste disposal were constantly under monitoring, lest they fall back to the annihilation of Earth, as the ancient archives mentioned something of the effect.

* * *

"2B, are you excited?" 9S asked, barely masking his joy.

The view of Earth from the Bunker was stunning as usual, so the window with a full view of the planet became 2B's favourite place to spend her time. Not averting her gaze towards the colourful planet, she responded.

"What is supposed to excite me, 9S?"

"You mean you don't know?" 9S's voice was slightly disappointed.

2B turned to look at her comrade, her curiosity piqued. "No. Is there anything that I haven't been told about?"

"You do know that the humans finally moved back to Earth, right? And they've rebuilt it, too,"

"Yes, and what are we supposed to do with that information, Nines?" 2B crossed her hands.

9S heard her say his nickname once more. He liked it when she calls him Nines. Too bad it never happened very often. His heart rate spiked all of a sudden. ' _Huh? This is the second time it's happened,'_ he thought.

"What's wrong, 9S? Why are you suddenly clutching your chest? Is something wrong?" asked a concerned 2B.

Aww, she called him 9S again. Shoot. "Huh? Oh, no, nothing's wrong, 2B. Anyways, Scanners like me are pretty curious about the human lifestyle. I wonder if we can, you know, live there for a while," 9S felt his cheeks burn. "Oh, you don't have to go if you don't want to," he added quickly, looking away.

"Does Commander know anything about this?"

"Yeah, she's given us a thumbs-up. But she said we need supervision from an Operator. Oh, and she also prepared lodgings for us on Earth, so we don't really need to come back here all the time. She wants us to study about the humans, so that we could improvise on ways to protect them,"

"That's pretty interesting. I guess I'll join, then," said 2B. "But you're acting queer today. Should you consult some of the maintenance people?"

9S laughed quickly. "Nah, nothing's wrong. You're probably imagining it, 2B." He mustn't let her know anything about _that_.

"About the Operator, who's going to be watching us?" asked 2B. 6O didn't tell her anything of the sort, and she wasn't the type of person to keep quiet about such things. So, the bubbly Operator is out of the list.

"It's going to be 21O. She's also interested about how humans live, remember? Commander thought she'd be perfect for the job, too,"

"That's great. I look forward for that," 2B smiled. It has been a long time since she has been to Earth. She has been in the Bunker ever since the war ended. She wondered what Earth looked like after the rebuilding process.

* * *

Traveling to the Earth via a transporter was nothing special for 2B and 9S, but it certainly was for Operator 21O.

On Earth, she would finally experience how 'having a family' felt like. Of all the researches she has done, that was by far her favourite subject. Then again, the only person who felt like family for her was 9S. She wondered if family really felt like that.

The transporter's door opened. A series of new things registered in the Operator's eyes. There was a sofa facing a large black screen on the wall. To her left, there was a kitchen. Cabinets were on the wall on top of the stove. There was an island, too. She watched on, fascinated. There was a corridor with four doors on her right. If her research proves to be correct, then this must be one of the rooms in an 'apartment complex'. There was another thing bothering her, too.

"What are you so engrossed about, Operator?" someone asked.

She turned to the direction of the voice. "9S, this is certainly very interesting. Look at us; we live among the humans now,"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," 9S responded.

"9S, I noticed that there's something different here than it is at the Bunker. What I'm saying is, the shapes are the same and all, but there's a different quality to it," 21O tried to describe what she saw.

"You mean the colours? True, there are no colours at the Bunker. The colours make Earth more beautiful, don't they?" said 9S after a pause.

"Yes, that is true. It's truly amazing that there are so many things I never got to see from the Bunker,"

The transporter opened again and out came 2B. She looked around. "So this is where we'll be living in as long as we stay on Earth,"

"Now that you're here, 2B, we should check out the rooms," proposed 9S.

One of the rooms had a computer similar to the one that Operators used; another had a shelf full of hacking chips while the last had a Virtuous Contract hung on the wall. Their designs were pretty similar to the rooms in the Bunker, albeit having some differences.

"Seems like our rooms have been assigned from the very beginning," commented the Scanner.

"Now then, shall we go outside?" said 21O.

Opening the front door, 21O saw something that she had always wished to see, but thought it would never be true. They were on the fourth floor, which offered an aerial view of the park below. It was a sunny afternoon, so many people were there. People, young and old, were having a picnic, jogging, playing, or just sitting on the benches, enjoying the weather.

Descending the staircase, 21O decided to take a walk around the park. Before parting ways, 9S mentioned that he would like to visit the shopping mall nearby with 2B.

She found a vacant bench and took a seat. The sun was warm against her skin, another feeling you would never get in the Bunker. She thought about how similar humans and androids look, yet they were on entirely different leagues. So deep were her introspections, she did not notice that a child has made her way over to her. She looked at the Operator curiously, taking in her light hair and partially obscured face.

"Um, big sis?"

21O looked at the girl. ' _Is this… a child?'_

"Yes, how may I assist you?" she responded gently.

"I just wanted to tell you how beautiful you are, and I made you a flower crown," the girl answered, holding out a wreath of flowers.

Looking at flowers for the first time, she accepted it. "My, it looks beautiful. Thank you,"

The girl put the crown on the Operator's head. "Wow, now you look even _more_ beautiful!" The girl grinned as she ran off.

21O concluded that humans really were strange, yet beautiful creatures.

* * *

"2B, look at this! …2B, look at that! ...Should we give it a try?"

9S was extremely enthusiastic. When he was faced with something completely new, his Scanner instincts will kick in. 2B merely followed her friend, glad that Earth was finally inhabited by humans again, and also thankful that she and 9S weren't separated despite the war being over. She noticed that many pairs were holding hands when they walk. She pondered if she should do that with 9S.

"9S, should we hold hands?" she asked.

"Huh? Why do you say this all of a sudden?" 9S was taken aback. He paused for a moment to think. "I think we should do that. It's better than getting separated, don't you think?"

They linked their hands while exploring the mall. "2B, do you remember the first time we went to a mall?" asked 9S, eating a chocolate waffle. "Mmm, that's why chocolate is the best dessert according to humans,"

"Emil helped us get into the forest area that time, didn't he?" answered 2B. She noticed a chocolate stain on 9S's chin. She wiped it away, commenting on his clumsiness.

"Yep, and I asked you if you'd like to come here once everything's over. And look at us, we're actually here! Oh, and thanks, by the way,"

2B giggled. "I guess I did say that I'd come here with you,"

"And then you asked me what we'd do here, and I promised to buy you a t-shirt or something, didn't I?"

"Yes, I suppose you said that. Where should we buy them, then?"

9S suddenly stopped. "Here, of course," he pointed at an outlet store.

All sorts of clothes were folded neatly on their shelves, some of them hanging. Mannequins were dressed according to the latest fashion trends. It was pretty crowded, and many people were trying out the clothes.

"There are so many types of clothes, 9S, I don't know which one I'd choose," 2B glanced at the outfits.

"Maybe we can buy more than one," suggested 9S.

"We shouldn't waste our money like that, 9S," 2B retorted.

"Don't worry about that, 2B. We should celebrate that we moved to Earth, you know?" 9S wanted to lighten the mood.

2B was silent for a while. "If you say so, 9S,"

9S already picked out some clothes for 2B.

 **So, how was it? I'm planning to expand the story by doing other events. Please leave some suggestions if you want to see any scenes!**


	2. Chapter 2: Books are Knowledge

**Hello again! I'm glad most of you like the story. Today, 2B and 9S are going to explore a library. Read on to see what they encounter.**

9S knocked on 2B's door. "2B, it's already in the morning. Are you still sleeping?"

A muffled noise came from the other side of the door. "Well, I'm coming in, regardless," announced 9S, finding the door unlocked.

Upon opening the door, he was greeted by a 2B brandishing her Virtuous Contract. No doubt she has been training all morning. "Well, what is it, 9S?" she asked as she lowered the sword.

"You don't need to be training, you know. Your plug-in chips are already programmed for combat. Besides, there aren't any threats around anymore,"

"Training just feels like a natural routine for me, 9S. I believe it's equivalent to how you feel about bathing; unnecessary, but it feels good," 2B stowed her sword away. "What if Bunker suddenly contacted us regarding an emergency?"

"Okay, okay, you win," said 9S, resigned.

"Now, don't tell me you've barged in just to tell me that I shouldn't be training, or I'll make you my _target_ ," 2B's sharp blue eyes didn't make that sound like a joke. She decided not to wear the HUD, as humans she'd passed by would randomly ask her about her ability to see despite the fact that her eyes are obscured.

"Oh yeah, that. Did you know that humans stored information not only in chips and hard drives, but in things called books as well? There are a ton of them being kept in a place called a 'library', so I was wondering if you'd like to come with me, to check them out," 9S's eyes were shining as he was talking about the books.

2B blinked. She had initially planned to go running afterwards, but after seeing an enthusiastic 9S, she didn't want to ruin his mood.

"Sure, let me change my clothes first,"

9S nodded as he went out of her room, closing the door after him. 2B opened her closet, scrutinizing the neatly folded clothes, and her YoRHa uniform. It was getting warmer outside, but still cold enough for a person to wear a jacket, as summer was just beginning to work its magic. ' _Time to try on the clothes we bought the other day,'_ thought 2B.

* * *

When 2B exited her room, 9S was daydreaming on the kitchen's island, drinking chocolate milk. Ever since he ate the chocolate waffle, he's been obsessed with anything chocolate. He stared at his companion for a little too long.

2B wore a red checkered knee-length pinafore, a white button-up shirt with long sleeves underneath it. A flower hairclip was pinned on her fringe, revealing both of her sparkling blue eyes.

Of course, she's beautiful. 9S's heart rate skipped a beat once more. To him, she'd look beautiful no matter what. He, on the other hand, wore a grey vest over a white shirt, paired with a pair of beige pants. A red scarf encompassed his neck.

Operator 21O was already away, exploring the world which was so new and full of possibilities to her.

According to 9S's map, they would have to take a transporter known to the humans as a bus to get to the library. The fare wasn't much.

When they were at the bus stop, 2B noticed that they blended in pretty well with the humans. But there was a subtle difference, which lies in their hair colour. According to 9S, they look like human teenagers. But then again, no human teenager has white hair. The lightest hair colour she'd ever seen on a human was platinum blonde, similar to 21O's. People would just assume that 2B and 9S dyed their hair, though that wasn't as popular as it used to be several millennia ago.

9S, however, was interested in how the climate changes as the years progresses. According to his studies, they're known as seasons. There were four of them, and only summer has hot weather. He was also amazed at how the world went dark when it was around 6 to 7 in the evening; and would light up at almost the same time in the mornings. When 2B and 9S were assigned to missions on the Earth, it was almost always in the daylight hours.

Both of the androids were absorbed in their own introspection, enjoying each other's company, as well as waiting for the bus.

* * *

They finally arrived at their destination. A large building stood before them. "Look, 2B, that's the library," said 9S, full of excitement.

The pair walked up the stairs to the library's door. According to the directory, there were 4 floors in the library. The ground floor contained children's fiction; the first floor was all fictional books; the second floor had non-fiction while the third floor offered media. 9S read the directory aloud.

"9S, what's the difference between fiction and non-fiction?" asked 2B.

"Oh, fiction is a completely made up story, an example being about a story Pascal tells the machine children. A non-fiction is all factual, like the history of the Machine War. That's what I got from the databanks, at least. We should see for ourselves, though," explained 9S.

They began by exploring the children's fiction. There weren't many people, as 9S thought there would be. He suddenly remembered that Adam and Eve used to read books. ' _Why am I suddenly remembering that now?'_ he thought. He shook his head, and concentrated on the shelves.

The books were thin and most of them contained colourful illustrations. 9S chose a book with a tortoise and a rabbit on the front cover, and took a seat on one of the small chairs instead of sitting at one of the tables. It was almost too small for him. He thought it would set the atmosphere. The book narrated a story between a rabbit and a tortoise having a race. Although the rabbit had an advantage, it decided to sleep under a tree in the middle of the race, thinking that the tortoise will never catch up. However, the tortoise crawled slowly but surely towards the end, and ultimately won the competition.

"This is an interesting story, don't you think, 2B?" 9S was satisfied with what he had read, and would like to read more.

"Other than some pretty pictures in here, I don't see any other interesting things," commented 2B.

9S stared at 2B in bewilderment, until it struck him. "2B, could it be that… you can't read?"

2B looked at the books arranged neatly on the shelves. "I don't know, but I guess so,"

"Then, do you know that the Goliath class we fought together when we first met was called Engels?" 9S tried to confirm his theory.

"No, I didn't know until another Goliath introduced itself after we repaired it," admitted 2B. ' _Wait, isn't there something strange here?'_ mused 2B. _'9S said he only managed to back up his memories till the point we first met, didn't he?'_ She decided to keep quiet about this.

"If that's so, then I'll program a chip that lets you read," said 9S. Pod 153 usually translated the words for him, so one day, he decided to copy the program and move it into a chip. It wasn't an easy process, but he managed, somehow. Still, the Assistance Pod was still glad to read words aloud for him if he wanted to. He kind of missed the Pods, as they stayed in the Bunker instead of following their masters.

"But first, I'll grab some more books. They're pretty good. I can read them to you, if you want too," 9S got up from the chair to put the book away, and began to browse the shelves. He saw a particularly interesting book, but someone else's hand was faster than his was.

"Hey, I wanted that…" 9S paused as he recognized the person. Long white hair tied up into a ponytail, glasses perched in front of her blue eyes, and a mole below her mouth, much like 2B's.

"A2! What are you doing here? I almost didn't recognize you," exclaimed 9S.

A2 shushed the boy. "Keep your voice down, 9S. This is a library."

9S nodded, swallowing.

"I know 2B is here. Let's sit at one of the tables, and then we'll talk," said A2.

2B was surprised when she saw the prototype android. 9S sat next to her, while A2 sat to their opposite.

A2 sighed. "Now that you're here, are you going to report me to the YoRHa authorities or kill me on the spot?"

"Why would we do any of them in the first place?" queried 2B.

"Because I'm a wanted android, a deserter, et cetera, obviously," A2 answered.

"But you still haven't told us what you're doing here," interrupted 9S.

"Fine, I'll answer that first. Basically, I work here. I oversee the books here, like which books are being borrowed and all that. Humans call me a librarian. Someone has to take up the job, you know,"

9S gasped. "I _can_ take these books home?"

"Yeah, provided that you have a library card," A2 showed them a card. "It looks like this, by the way,"

"How can I get one?" 9S asked impatiently.

"You'll have to fill up this form available at the reception, send it in, and wait for a few days until we mail the card to you," A2 narrated the process.

"Aww, I wanted to bring some of the books home today if I can," 9S's eagerness faded a bit.

"I _suppose_ I can make an exception, YoRHa No. 9 Type S," A2's eyes flashed mischievously.

"We won't report you, A2, we promise. Not that we planned to do that in the first place," 9S said with all honesty he could muster.

"What 9S says is true," 2B backed up.

"Good," A2 was never worried about that at all; she was sure that B-mode could wipe out 2B and 9S if they really were here to arrest her.

"What's with the glasses, A2? Androids don't have long or short-sightedness, and I highly doubt that's a HUD," 2B changed the subject.

"I just wear it for fun, okay? It suits my working environment, by the way," A2 looked away.

"It looks good on you, though," commented 9S.

They were all silent for a moment.

"I guess I'll have to go arrange some of the books now," A2 got up. "You guys will come back here some other day, won't you?"

"Of course I will," said 9S. "I mean _we._ Right, 2B?"

2B nodded, albeit after a long pause.

"It's okay, 2B. I'll program that chip for you, I promise," reassured 9S.

"What chip are you guys talking about?" asked A2 inquisitively.

"2B doesn't have a plug-in chip that lets her read, so I'll have to program one when we get home,"

A2 left, telling the pair to wait for her. Having nothing to do while they waited, 9S decided to read some of the stories to 2B. Another memory resurfaced _. 2B has once told him that he has a calming voice._ He paused abruptly, mid sentence.

"What's wrong, 9S?" 2B was concerned. ' _They've been happening a lot to 9S, I wonder if I should report that to 21O,'_

Before 9S could answer, A2 returned, a chip in her hand. It saved 9S from the embarrassment of having to explain that to 2B, at least. A2 handed the chip to 2B.

"Now you can read the Chaos Language with no problems,"

"A2, who programmed that for you?" 9S was curious as not many people can make plug-in chips, not even the humans.

"A person who regularly comes in here to read storybooks for the children," said A2 enigmatically. "They aren't here today, though,"

2B installed it. She opened a book, and the jumble of symbols she previously thought were gibberish suddenly held some meaning. She read it all, savouring the words.

"Humans have a very complex mind," she concluded.

"I knew you would like to read!" 9S cheered.

"9S, I'll kick you out if you speak this loudly again," chastised A2.

9S apologized. Rounding up all the books he wanted to read, he handed them over to A2 so that she could process them before he can take them home. Their due dates were in three weeks.

When 2B and 9S were about to open the front door, A2 stopped them. "If any of the books are damaged whatsoever, or if you return them late, you'll have me to answer to."

"Okay, A2, I'll keep them in mind. We're almost going to miss the bus. We'll see you around," 9S pulled 2B's hand, and they set off towards the bus stop, leaving A2 to stare after them.

 **A2 being a librarian is a reference to route C. That's when I realized that androids don't know what a library is, thus this chapter was created. A2 reading the archives in the library made me wonder if she actually likes books, so I went with the assumption that she does. See you in the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3: Gaming and Surprises

**I'm back with another installment! I hope you guys will enjoy this, as well.**

"2B, come check this out!" 9S called from the living room.

2B was slightly frustrated at the fact that 9S called her when she was fully immersed in the book she was currently reading. Since she installed the reading chip, she has been intrigued by the humans' literature. Angst, happiness, love, were all beautifully transformed into words.

2B stuck her head out of her room, which was adjacent to the living room. "What is it, 9S?"

9S had connected something to the television. It was a white box that stood vertically. The television displayed a man in a red outfit and a man in a green outfit, slightly taller than his companion, each holding a wheel, similar to the one in 9S's hand.

"Some guy who sold it to me said it was gonna be fun, so why don't we test it out? It's called a gaming console, by the way,"

9S pressed the A button and chose 'Grand Prix'. He selected a random character, and chose the easiest map. Of course, he had it set to easy mode. He handed the wheel to 2B, prompting her to try it out.

"And what am I supposed to do with this thing?" 2B examined the buttons on the baton.

"Okay, you hold the wheel like this, and you'll move forward when you press this button," 9S, his hands over 2B's, guided her on how to maneouvre the controller. "To turn left or right, just steer the wheel, like so,"

The race began after the countdown. 2B oversteered on the first bend. 9S was grinning as he guided the vehicle back onto the track.

"Don't turn that violently, 2B. Just a bit will do,"

2B then hit a box with a '?' sign. A box appeared on the top right of the screen. Being in the eighth place, she acquired a giant black bullet with white arms and angry eyes.

"That's a sweet item you got there. If you want to use this, just press this button over here," 9S pressed a button.

The character in the game was instantly enveloped by the bullet, moving at a ludicrous pace. Hitting the opponents as well as going autopilot, it disappeared with a poof as 2B reached the fifth place. Other items were really helpful for her to reach the top. She also learned that a red shell would hit anyone in front of her, while a green shell would bounce around on the tracks when you set it off on a certain trajectory, among other items.

On the final lap, 2B was on the third place. 9S cheered her on. She was extremely focused on the game, and it earned her the second place. 9S gave her a round of applause.

"That's not bad at all, 2B,"

"Well, that was certainly fun," commented 2B, letting out a ghost of a smile. She handed the wheel back to 9S.

9S looked slightly hurt. "What, you don't want to play a round against me?"

2B cocked an eyebrow. "You can do that?"

"Obviously you can. Here, let me set things up," 9S turned on another baton as he placed it into a wheel.

"There we go. We'll play on another track, okay?"

They each set up their characters and chose a new map.

"Oh, and before we start, your screen is at the top, while mine's at the bottom, okay?"

2B nodded.

* * *

The race started. The CPU characters were overtaken by 9S in no time. 2B wasn't about to back down either, and she was steadily overtaking the CPU characters. 9S was already first when they were only halfway in the first lap.

 _'He's pretty good, that's for sure. But that doesn't mean I can't win,'_ thought 2B.

On the final lap, 9S was still reigning at the top. The item 2B acquired was a blue shell. She'd never seen a blue shell in action before, but set it off anyway. That was when she discovered that a blue shell would hit whoever's on the first place, no exceptions. The victims don't just slip around; they explode into the air, along with anyone in its proximity.

2B overtook 9S with a breeze. 9S groaned as his driver got back on his feet. Or _wheels_ , one would say.

"Who set that off?" howled 9S.

2B was almost laughing.

"It was you, wasn't it?" 9S knew he wouldn't have enough time to catch up to her.

The race ended with 2B on the first place while 9S was the runner up.

"Ugh, I was so close, and you went and sent that shell my way," complained 9S.

"I was lucky it hit the second and the third drivers too," said 2B with pride.

"We'll have a rematch, and I'll show you who's boss," challenged 9S.

Without a blue shell and a little bit of luck in her arsenal this time, 9S came in first.

"Yeah! I knew I could do it!" 9S jumped up, punching a fist in the air.

"9S," said 2B quietly. "You didn't hack it, did you?"

"What? Why'd I do that? Not that I _wouldn't_ do it, though,"

"That's it! You really did hack the game, after all," insinuated 2B.

"No, 2B, I'd never hack a game that I'm playing with you," 9S was taken aback by the accusation.

Unable to hold it in, 2B laughed out loud. "Okay, you won, fair and square. That was a joke, by the way,"

9S frowned for a split second, and then laughed along. "Anyway, do you want to try another game?"

"Sure," the laughter had subsided.

"Okay, we're going to play a sports game this time. We'll start by playing tennis first," 9S started up another game.

Naturally, 2B proved to be more proficient in physical activities than 9S. She won three games in a row without breaking a sweat. 9S, however, was beginning to feel worn out.

"2B, I'm kinda tired. Can we stop for now?" 9S plopped down onto the sofa.

2B put down her baton. "Androids don't get tired, do they?"

"That's because you're a Battle model, and have higher resilience."

"Huh, I thought Scanners, who go for scouting missions, would require a lot of stamina,"

"Scouting isn't as tiring as battling, you see,"

Just then, the front door opened, revealing a soaking 21O. It was raining cats and dogs outside, but 2B and 9S failed to notice since they were too absorbed in the games.

"21O, you ought to dry yourself off as soon as possible," said 2B as she went to look for a towel.

"I can take a bath just fine," commented 9S as he noticed a bundle wrapped up in 21O's hands.

"Well, we're modeled for outdoor activities, 9S while Operators are not," replied 2B as she returned with a towel in hand. "So we can't be entirely sure,"

21O shifted the bundle into one hand as she accepted the towel. "Thank you, 2B. I believe we Operators are water resistant too, since I'm still functioning normally,"

"Say, what do you have wrapped up in there?" unable to satiate his curiosity, 9S finally asked.

"Do you mean this?" 21O gestured to the bundle. It barked right then.

2B was instantly on the defensive. Summoning her Virtuous Contract, she aimed the weapon at the bundle. "It could be dangerous," she hissed.

"It sounds like a dog. 21O, did you bring a dog home?" 9S, however, didn't feel so.

As 21O set the bundle down on the floor, a small creature with orange-red and white fur came bounding out. It jumped on top of 9S and proceeded to lick him on the face. 9S was too surprised to do anything. When he saw 2B's sword coming down on him, he dodged it with a roll. The sword met the sofa's fabric, and fueled the dog's excitement.

"Wow, 2B, were you trying to kill me?" he asked, holding the puppy with both hands, so that it wouldn't move around.

"Wasn't it trying to attack you?" 2B's icy blue eyes reflected her inner fury at the creature.

"No, you've gotten it wrong. Dogs are man's best friend, as the humans say. They lick people to show their affection," explained 9S.

"I see. I humbly apologise, small creature," said 2B, as the Virtuous Contract dissolved into nothing. "21O, what should I do, now that the sofa's ruined?"

21O chuckled, amused. "I'll tell Commander about this, and hope that she'll replace it for us. The dog was lying on the street out there, in the pouring rain. Naturally, I felt sorry for it and brought it home. Now then, do you think we should name the dog, if we were to keep it?"

"Sure, we should keep it," agreed 9S, petting the dog. "What should we name it?"

They had a long discussion about a name, and finally decided to bestow the name Kainé upon it.

 **I know you guys would recognize what console it is. I haven't played that in a long time. Anyways, I would like to admit that I haven't played NieR, so I wouldn't know what kind of person Kainé is. She seems like a cool person though, and her name has a nice ring to it, which is why I'd like to name the dog after her. Another reason I chose to name it** **Kainé was probably because it rhymes with K9? ok please dont bash me im sorry**

 **Would you like it more if the dog is named** **Kainé or K9? Do let me know!**


	4. Chapter 4: A Day at the Beach!

**And I'm back with another chapter dictating the androids' adventures on Earth. Enjoy!**

2B returned home after a particularly exhilarating run. She had brought Kainé along, who seemed to enjoy her company.

"Ah, welcome home, 2B and Kainé," said 21O with a motherly tone when the front door opened. She assumed the responsibilities as the mother in a family unit, as she thought it most fitting to her. A pencil in her hand, she was determined to solve the crossword puzzle in the daily newspaper, a hobby she picked up ever since they subscribed to said newspaper.

"I'm home," answered 2B in kind as she closed the door and proceeded to fill Kainé's bowl with water and some food.

9S was absorbed in his game, as he has been ever since he installed the system. A pile of library books sat unread on the coffee table. He looked up when the round ended. "Hey, 2B," he greeted. After Kainé had its fill, it jumped onto his lap. "And welcome home to you too, Kainé," he scratched the dog's ear.

"Hello, 9S. I see that the games have consumed most of your time now," chastised 2B, finishing her glass of milk. It's not that androids need the calcium and protein, though.

"Well, it's fun. Now I understand why humans think this box called a 'gaming console' is the best thing a person could ever have," rebutted 9S.

21O, upon completing her crossword, proceeded to fold the newspaper. "Now then, what should we do together instead?"

"It's already summer, and the weather's getting hotter," 9S began to say.

"So where do you suggest we go?" asked 2B, a hand on her room's doorknob.

"I suppose we can go to the beach. It's almost similar to the flooded city, minus the collapsed buildings. There's sand too, much like the desert," proposed 21O as she reopened the newspaper, showing 2B and 9S a photo of the beach. Sparking seawater, reflecting the sunlight, expanded to the horizon. Golden sand was abundant, and some children were building sandcastles.

"That seems like a good idea," 2B smiled.

"Did you guys notice the clothes the children are wearing? They're called 'swimsuits'. We should each buy one before going there," said 9S. "Oh, and a beach ball, too,"

"That is a good idea," agreed 21O. Kainé barked enthusiastically.

"Then, let us set out to but the items in question," said 2B without skipping a beat.

* * *

They split up as they arrived at the mall. It would simplify things, 9S had said. He would buy the beach ball as well.

2B and 21O browsed shop by shop, in search of the perfect swimsuit.

"Do you think this will look good on me?" asked 21O as she held a floral sundress against her body.

"It sure suits you a lot, Operator. But are we not supposed to look for swimsuits?" 2B cocked an eyebrow.

"I am too embarrassed to wear those things, 2B," confessed the Operator.

2B decided not to pry. "If you say so, then we should buy it,"

"Well, well, well. If it isn't 2B," said a voice.

21O's eyes darkened as she faced the person. "YoRHa deserter A2," she spat icily.

"Stop, 21O. A2 is not hostile," said 2B. She had known this would happen, which was why 9S and her prevented 21O from going to the library. But that hadn't worked out well, has it? A2 and 21O still met each other, in the end.

"Have you fallen for the deserter's lies, 2B?" responded 21O, her eyes not leaving A2. Her conscience told her to report immediately to Command, now that they have located the deserter. All deserters must die.

"No, 21O, A2 never deserted. It was a communication error that caused her to lose contact to the Bunker. I know that Anemone can vouch for that," implored 2B.

It took a little more than that to convince Operator 21O.

"So, am I to believe that it was just a communication error in the Bunker's part?" said the Operator.

"Yes," said A2, unwavering.

"Very well then, I will represent the Bunker to convey my apologies, though it won't make a difference anymore,"

A2 paused for a long time. "It's not going to return me the times I had as a fugitive, anyway,"

21O sighed. "That, I do not know how to compensate."

"It doesn't matter, I guess," A2 looked away. They seemed to have come to a truce.

2B decided to invite the prototype android to join them at the beach.

* * *

9S rushed to the meeting spot, aware that he was late.

"I'm sorry for being late," he said quickly. He then saw A2 with the two androids. Eyes trained at 2B, he asked, "A2? 2B, what is the meaning of this?"

"Everything is explained and over," was all 2B said.

"And I have a day off today, as well. If that's what you're wondering too, by the way," A2 added.

"That's cool," 9S beamed, clearly relieved. "Now, let's go to the bus stop,"

"Wait, none of you guys can drive?" said A2, mouth agape.

All three YoRHa androids shook their heads.

A2 sighed. "The come along, we'll take my car,"

9S was amazed by the interior of a car. Less spacious than a bus, but a better transportation method. Things can also be stored in the back of car, too. He wondered, aloud, if he could hack it to self-drive, until A2 bashed his head and warned him, "No funny business in my car."

* * *

The beach was in sight, much to the androids' excitement. They convinced A2 to make a detour back home so that Kainé could come along. After a long search for a good parking spot, they unloaded the things. 2B noticed that 9S had bought the other necessities as well. She decided she would praise him later.

They finally found a vacant area, and set everything up.

"Well, let's all change clothes," urged 9S.

A moment later, they reunited. 9S only had a knee length shark-printed beach pants on. A2 wore a white bikini with thigh length shorts. She was much bolder than 21O, so that wasn't much of a problem for her.

2B however, wore a bare back sea green swimsuit with frills on the waist, imitating a skirt. 21O, in the sundress, sat down on the mat, in the shade.

"Aren't you coming to join us, Operator?" beseeched 9S.

"Just go ahead without me. I'm okay sitting here, anyway," declined 21O.

"If you say so," said 9S, running after A2, 2B and Kainé.

21O watched their receding forms, examining everything from her vantage point. Many people were there with their family and friends, sun tanning, playing beach volleyball, and even eating snacks. She looked into the picnic basket 9S bought, and it was filled with sandwiches and fruits. Then her thoughts drifted to A2. ' _A communication error, huh,'_

* * *

YoRHa androids weren't designed to swim, so they stayed in the shallow waters. Kainé paddled happily in the water.

"Hey, 2B, A2!" called 9S.

When the androids responded, they were met with a splash of seawater, followed by a peal of laughter.

A2 got her revenge by sending a crescent of water towards 9S.

"Wow, that's a nice technique," said an awed 2B.

"Well, it's not that sp-" A2 was cut mid-sentence by another attack.

It escalated to a water fight. "Enough, enough, I give up," 9S yielded, laughing.

"Then, let us go to shore," said 2B. Looking around, she noticed something out of place.

"A2, 9S, have any of you seen Kainé?"

Then it struck 9S too. He scanned the sea frantically. The horde of people seemed to increase, limiting his sights. He wished he'd brought his HUD along. Finally, he saw a small dog too far out to sea. It seemed to be unable to return due to the current. Ignoring the fact that he couldn't swim, he ran back into the sea towards it, anyway.

"9S, no!" screamed 2B, as she began to run after him. A2 subdued the android.

9S somehow grabbed Kainé. 9S knew he couldn't do anything at that moment. He tried to get Kainé closer to shore. If the Assistance Pods were present, they would've made a difference. ' _This is it, I guess,'_ he thought as he bobbed up and down in the sea.

"Calm down, 2B. There has to be something else we can do," asserted A2.

"I DON'T CARE! 9S IS DROWNING, AND YOU'RE SAYING THIS!?" 2B tried to break free of A2's grasp, but the latter was simply too strong.

Just then, something flew out towards 9S and Kainé. Along with his assistants, they fished the android and the dog from the water, bringing them back to shore.

2B managed to break free of A2 and rushed towards them. A half drowned Kainé was still breathing, but 9S wasn't responsive at all. She held 9S's face in her hands.

"9S, please, don't do this to me," whispered 2B urgently.

"Um, 2B?" a feminine voice piped up.

She looked at the source of the voice. It was the familiar robotic features of Pascal. Pascal and his people had rescued 9S and Kainé.

"Pascal, please, do something," pleaded 2B. 21O came over, worried.

"I'll try hacking into him and see if anything's wrong," responded the machine.

* * *

" _9S, can you hear me?"_

 _That's a familiar voice. I wonder who it belonged to. Why can't I remember? What happened? Why is everything dark?_

" _Listen to me, 9S. I've hacked into your system, and I'll commence your reboot system,"_

 _Reboot system? Have I been shut down somehow? I set up all the necessary things, and then I ran a virus check._

" _Luckily, there isn't anything wrong with your system, so you can run it now,"_

* * *

The first thing 9S felt was something licking his face. His ear began to register noises. He felt the smooth sand on his back. He opened his eyes, registering several machine lifeforms and an elated 2B, with Kainé still licking his face.

2B immediately pulled him into a hug. "I thought you were going to die,"

"I've told you before, didn't I? We're soldiers, and are expected to die at any given time," 9S smiled wryly. "And Kainé, don't ever scare me like that anymore,"

Kainé whimpered guiltily.

"What caused you to go to Kainé without any thinking, 9S?" asked 21O.

"I don't know, ma'am, I just did it in the heat of the moment," For the first time, 9S was unable to come up with an explanation. 2B let go of him.

He sat up, and looked around. "Pascal? Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me. I'm glad you weren't damaged, after all," Pascal's tone was relieved.

"I'm so happy to see you. You seem to be well," he responded.

"I'm well, indeed. I believe I should program a chip so that you people won't drown anymore," the machine let out a laugh.

A2 clapped her hands. "Enough with the sappy stuff. Who wants to play dodgeball?"

Everyone looked at her, dumbfounded.

"It's that sport they're playing over there," she pointed towards a group of people, split into two groups, dodging the ball and catching it.

They were divided evenly into two groups, trying to recreate the sport. It ended up with only 2B and A2 left in the ring, all competitive.

* * *

When everyone went their separate ways, 21O saw to it that 9S was fully functioning before he let him go to bed. When she took a seat on her chair and turned on the computer, she thought about the transpired events.

A2 being an ally of 2B and 9S.

The surviving machine lifeform knows as Pascal rescuing 9S and Kainé, despite them being an enemy of the androids and humans.

A fugitive android.

A robot who seemed to be even more humanly than humans.

The Operator typed everything she remembered into the daily report for the Bunker. Her hand was hovering over the 'Send' button as she reread some of the sentences.

… _YoRHa deserter A2 was spotted at the local mall, subsequently following us to the beach. …When 9S's system was damaged by the seawater, a team of machine lifeforms went out of their way to rescue him. One of them, assumed to be the leader, is known as Pascal. There is still a number of surviving machine lifeforms on Earth. …_

21O knew she may or may not be sending A2 and Pascal to their certain deaths. She hesitated for a while before deleting those parts and sending the report. _'If both of them trust A2 and Pascal, I will too,'_ she thought before turning off the computer.

 **That's all for this chapter, everyone. I didn't know a better way of introducing Pascal, so this is it. I know most of you were wondering if Pascal survived during the rebuilding of Earth, and yes, he did. Do you think the Bunker would ever admit that they have communication errors? Should 21O actually explain A2's situation?**


	5. Chapter 5: Adventure at the Arcade!

**Hello again everyone! I'm so sorry for the much-dragged out delay. The FanFiction website has been showing me error 404 for months now. I have never updated a story through the app, so I'm not so sure how it'd turn out. Do tell me if there's anything wrong with the format though.**

-

A cup of iced chocolate, infused with an abundance of cacao powder on top, was 9S's most recent discovery on the subject of chocolate-related recipes. When the ice melted, the chocolate would not be diluted, as the cacao powder granules will replace the lost taste. Combined with the sweetness of the evaporated milk, it was truly a masterpiece, albeit quite unhealthy. 9S sipped the drink, relishing every drop of the beverage.

21O was required to return to the Bunker to settle some matters, while 2B and 9S remained behind. 2B was sitting on the sofa, having a video contact with 6O. Despite the regularly-scheduled contacts were deemed unnecessary anymore, 6O still continued to do so. To humour the Operator, 2B went along with it. Without Pod 042, the television served as an alternative as the medium of communication. 6O was envious of 21O, who had the opportunity to stay on Earth. Operators had little to no chance of leaving the Bunker, after all. All in all, she still missed 2B's presence, and often felt lonely. To soothe the girl, 2B promised to get her something on Earth and send it over. 6O's spirits were immediately lifted, saying how much she loved the Battle-type android before hanging up.

"I'm not sure if this happens to androids, but isn't it a little too unhealthy for you to be consuming chocolate in such quantities?" reprimanded 2B.

"What do you mean by that, 2B?" asked 9S, who seemed to have forgotten that he had been eating nothing but chocolate for days. Androids only require maintenance; food was just a bonus for them, though it has no effect after consumption. Even so, there were also certain foods that will kill them. Namely, a certain type of fish.

"You've been eating a little too much chocolate, don't you think? Take everything in moderation,"

"If you say so, 2B," said 9S obediently.

They sat in silence.

"Are you mad, 9S? I'm only saying this for your own good," 2B said.

"No, no, I'm just thinking of something, is all. Hey, do you want to check out the arcade that just opened in the mall?" 9S avoided the subject.

"If you want to go, I'll go with you, then," said 2B. '9S looked wistful for a moment there,'she thought, biting her lip. Anyway, she could also look for something to send over to 6O, to slake her sadness of not getting to enjoy 2B's company.

_

The arcade was crammed with young people. Many games awaited them: first-person shooting games, dancing games, air hockey, driving games… each to its own variety.

9S was amazed. "Look at all the games, 2B. I wonder what we should play first."

2B scanned the area. A crane game caught her attention, and the kitten plushies were almost as large as her torso. That would be the perfect gift for 6O, she decided.

She inserted the required amount of credits and began to aim for the plush she thought 6O would like the most. 9S watched on, admiring his companion's precision. When 2B pressed the button, the crane caught the plush toy in question, but alas, it fell before it reached the reward box. 9S saw through the mechanism, and made the decision to hack it so that 2B would not waste their entire allowance on the game. He knew that she would get whatever she wanted, no matter what. The second attempt resulted in 2B managing to grab the plush toy again, and 9S hacked the crane at that moment so it wouldn't loosen its grip on the toy, releasing it when it reached the reward box.

2B was proud when she retrieved the kitten, thinking about how much 6O would like it. 9S decided to keep quiet, and be happy for 2B. He hated to imagine 2B's fury when she found out that 9S had been hacking things unnecessarily.

Next, they tried the shooting games. The main objective of the game was to clear out all the enemies in the area before the timer ran out. Being a Battle model, 2B took to the game like a fish in water, despite having never held a gun before. In the end of the game, she had beaten the leaderboard.

They looked around again. 9S spotted a black box with a creepy creature imprinted on it, its green and bloodied complexion a stark contrast of the background. The game's title seemed to be written in blood. "2B, let's give that a try," he proposed as he pointed at the box.

They both took a seat in the box. The atmosphere already sent chills down 9S's spine. There were two rifles attached to the arcade. 2B assumed they had to shoot down some monsters. Upon inserting enough credits, they were plunged into the game's world. 2B and 9S were in a mine cart, slowly traversing the rails. An empty mansion was in sight, although it was out of reach. The sensation of being in the deepest hours of night, accompanied by the sound of the creaky wheels added to the game's immersive nature. They were surrounded by swamps, overgrown weeds and everywhere. Their line of sight was turned to the left.

Something let out a guttural shriek. 9S was aware that his hands have grown cold, and his heart rate fluctuated. 2B grabbed the rifle, ready to shoot anything that came in sight. A grotesque creature not unlike the one shown on the artwork of the box appeared abruptly, its ugly toothless personage ready to tear up the character into pieces. 2B calmly aimed at the vitals of the creature, and shot. It took a few more bullets to finally immobilize the monster. Other enemies appeared, and 2B managed to take them all down, despite 9S clutching onto her relentlessly.

They finally reached the mansion's doors. They opened automatically, while the rails of the mine cart led them into the interior. It did not look like anyone has set foot in there for a long time, decades maybe. A phalanx of metal knights stood, reminding 2B of the forest castle. Their eyes glowed red as they began to attack, swinging their spears. When they were defeated, they were brought into a large ornate room. A coffin sat in the middle of the room, bathed in the moonlight that had filtered in through the large window behind it. The tracks ended there, in front of the coffin. Suddenly, an effigy of a half-rotten human burst forth, dressed in an Edwardian outfit. Every orifice on its head oozed some sort of black liquid. It seemed to be trying to crawl out of the screen. 2B answered with a few shots to its head.

The screen finally melted into black, bloody words dictation the end, and a thank you for finishing the game.

2B and 9S left the box, 9S technically petrified. They decided to take a breather, so they sat down on a free bench.

"T-that totally scared the living daylights out of me," a livid 9S managed to say.

"Yes, that did trigger an adrenaline rush," agreed 2B, proud that she managed to finish it without dying once.

"Wow, you are a true soldier, 2B," remarked 9S. "Think you can try to remove that from my memory?"

2B's eyes widened. "No, 9S, I can't do that, I mean, I'm not a Scanner," she said quickly. Luckily, 9S didn't catch on her sudden jumpiness. Did he mean it as a joke, or was hinting towards something...?

"Well, let's go play something else. We've still some time to kill," said 9S. He would like to try the racing games, and see if it measured up to the experience of playing it on a console.

He took a seat on the driving chair, but his legs were a bit short. He could still reach the pedals, at least. He would have to make do with that. He wondered what the stick on the side did. Luckily, the game had a tutorial before it began.

As 2B watched 9S doing some spectacular manoeuvres, she tried to get their previous conversation out of her mind. 9S was quite the professional driver.

The race ended with a triumphant 9S. "Now, we can go home," he announced.

When they headed for the exit, a commotion had caught 2B's eye. There were some guys ganging up on a girl. She made her way over on impulse, tossing the kitten plush over to 9S. The desperate girl looked thankful, 2B's arrival as though her beacon of light.

"What are you doing to her?" asked 2B, standing between the girl and her bullies.

"Ooh, lookie here. We've got a feisty one on our hands, boys. Think you can play heroine, huh?" purred the gang leader. His lackeys laughed boorishly.

"The longer I look at you, the prettier you look," he said, making a move to hold 2B's chin.

2B slapped his hand away in a split second. The guy looked offended, but kept his cool.

"Look at you, you've hurt me, you know? Now, I want you to kiss where you've hurt me, kitten," the leader used a condescending tone.

"Do you think we have to teach her a lesson, Boss?" one of the guys asked.

Before the leader said anything, the third guy flung a fist in 2B's direction. She dodged easily, the ruffian much too slow for her. He stumbled forward.

'This is going downhill fast, and it's going to turn even uglier by the second. Speaking of which, where's 9S?'thought 2B. It was against YoRHa's tenets to ever hurt a human.

She couldn't attack the hooligans, yet she couldn't dodge forever. The guy stood up, fueled with rage. He prepared another punch.

"Stop what you're doing this instant!" commanded a powerful voice.

A muscular man in the arcade's uniform showed up, 9S right next to him. His experienced sea blue eyes radiated a commanding air. His blond hair was neatly parted in one side. Everyone looked at him, as the gang leader grunted.

"Travis, this isn't the first time you've been causing troubles to the other customers. If you do it again, I'll have to ban you from ever setting foot here," the man said.

The gang leader, Travis, eyed 2B. "You lucked out this time, kitten. Next time, it won't be so," he threatened as he rounded up the boys and left.

"2B, are you alright? I knew it'd turn out to be worse, so I got the store owner's attention. Sorry for not being around for you," said 9S, passing the kitten plush back to 2B.

"I'm fine, 9S. Thanks, and to you too, Mr… Mr?" 2B looked at the owner.

"My name's Erwin Kozak, but just call me Erwin. As you can see, Travis and his gang have been causing a lot of trouble lately. Thank you for stopping them from assaulting the girl here," said the owner.

"Thank you for saving me back there, all of you," said the girl. "I don't know what could've happened if you haven't shown up,"

2B, 9S and Erwin merely smiled.

"2B, we're going to miss the bus," reminded 9S.

"Oh, yes. It'd be the best if we leave now," announced 2B.

"You're welcome to come back anytime, you two. Good work apprehending the boys," Erwin proffered his hand for her and 9S to shake.

"Um, I'm taking the bus too. May I tag along?" said the girl.

"Sure," said 9S. After saying goodbye to Erwin, the three left for the bus stop.

_

 **I believe it's high time the androids mad some human friends. Maybe they can discover more things like this?**


	6. Chapter 6: Flowers and Pastries

**Hello, and welcome to the first chapter of 2018! I hope I can keep the story running for as long as I can. This is basically a part 2 of the previous chapter.**

While waiting for the bus to arrive,the girl decided to start a conversation.

"Um, thanks again for saving me back there,"

"It was the right thing to do," replied 2B nonchalantly.

"The way you stood up for me was really cool," the girl smiled, revealing her straight and pearly-white teeth.

"Well, you haven't introduced yourself," said 9S.

The girl blushed. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm Shauna Saint-Clair, nice to meet you,"

"Likewise. I'm 2B," 2B put a hand on her chest.

"And me, I'm 9S,"

"Your names are... Kinda unusual," Shauna ran a hand through her brown hair. "At least it's easy to remember,"

A bus approached. The trio stood up, queueing up at the front. Some passengers exited the vehicle, and they let them leave before boarding.

Coincidentally, they got off on the same stop, at the apartment complex.

"Oh, we live at the same place," remarked 9S.

2B and Shauna smiled enigmatically.

"You guys seem to be hiding something..." 9S narrowed his eyes. "Which floor do you live in, Shauna?"

"The fifth floor,"

When they arrived on said floor, they still headed towards the same direction. 9S was increasingly flabbergasted, while 2B and Shauna smiled knowingly. They stopped at adjacent doors.

"WE'RE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOURS?" cried 9S. "2B, why aren't you saying anything, like you've already known everything?"

"You should stop playing games too often, 9S. I sometimes see Shauna when I go out with Kainé, but we've only nodded at each other so far," explained 2B.

9S only passed her a dirty look.

"Would you like to come into my house? I want to thank you two properly," offered Shauna.

2B and 9S agreed. When they walked in, the sweet scent of flowers registered in their noses.

Shauna's house was furnished to be cosy. When 9S glanced at their TV, it was wired to the latest gaming console. Of course, a rack of games complemented it. There were vases of flowers on every table in the house, each a different variety. A toy chest was sitting in a corner of the living room. Framed photos stood on the top tier of a three-tiered bookshelf.

"Big sister! You've come back!" called a cheerful yet childish voice. A small brunette ran over to Shauna, demanding a hug. They're basically clones of each other, but Shauna had freckles dotting her face. The child seemed to be eight years old at most. Her hair was fashioned into two pigtails, and a flower crown rested upon her head.

Shauna lifted her. "Wow, you've made another flower crown when I was gone," she commented.

"Who are these people, big sister? They remind me of the light haired lady who covers her face," she stared at the androids.

"They saved me from some trouble just now, so I invited them over. They're 2B and 9S," answered Shauna.

2B and 9S waved respectively.

"My name is Sanna Saint-Clair, nice to meet you, 2B, 9S!" The child introduced herself as she was being put down.

"Nice to meet you too," the androids answered simultaneously.

"Shauna, where's your parents?" asked 9S, as he had read about familial structures, and it bugged him that there were no parents to be seen.

"My father is working right now, and my mother..." Shauna trailed off.

"9S, it's best if we don't pry," whispered 2B.

9S apologized.

"Anyway, I baked some baumkuchen earlier, so you should have some," Shauna brought a jar from the kitchen. It was a better subject to turn to.

There were many cylindrical shaped pastries with a hollow middle. Their crusts were bronze, but the fillings were of different colours: yellow, pink and brown.

"Here, have some. The yellow one is the original, while I added chocolate and strawberry flavours in the brown and pink ones," Shauna opened the lid and held the jar out to the white-haired duo.

Chocolate-loving 9S took a brown baumkuchen without much thought while 2B took a yellow one. They both nibbled at the pastry.

"Man, this is so good! Did you put some secret ingredient or something?" complimented 9S between bites. When he finished it, he craved for more.

"I'm glad you like it," said Shauna.

"Our Dad taught us well! He's an amazing baker, by the way," said Sanna, beaming.

"Well, I'll give you some of my pastries the next time I bake them," said Shauna.

"That's cool! I can't wait," said 9S.

Shauna proceeded to find a container to put some baumkuchen in, so that the androids could bring them home. Sanna had vanished into her room. 2B took a seat on the sofa, scrutinizing the photos. There was a couple and a child, doing several activities. They were all smiles. ' _Familial units, huh_ ,' thought 2B.

"Why did the guys attack you back there?" she heard 9S ask.

"It's... kinda hard to explain, 9S, but they are bullies, so that's what they do," answered Shauna with some degree of uncertainty.

"Why would bullying be a thing, though?"

"Honestly, 9S, I don't know myself. It just happens, I guess,"

Sanna reappeared from her room. "This is to thank you for saving Big Sister," she declared as she fastened a white lily into 2B's hair, and subsequently put on a flower crown on 9S's head.

2B wondered if she should send the flower to 6O along with the kitten plush. Unfortunately, it was against protocol to bring living organisms to the Bunker, for fear of contamination. She supposed she could send some pictures over instead.

"2B, you can press the flower in a thick book, if you want to," said Sanna as she ran to the bookshelf and took out a well-worn book. All sorts of flowers were pressed and pasted in the book, along with its name and its flower language.

"That is certainly amazing, Sanna," commented 2B, "Did you make it yourself?"

"No, my mom was the one who made it," the girl shook her head.

"I see," replied 2B as the smell of the lily wafted into her nose.

_

"It's time for us to leave," said 2B when it was getting late.

The Saint-Clair sisters sent the androids to the door. They asked the latter to visit them anytime they want.

21O and Kainé greeted them when they opened the door. She regarded the flowers that 2B and 9S were wearing with a flash of familiarity. The first thing they asked was about the Operator's visit to the Bunker. Luckily, it had nothing to do with Pascal or A2, as WB had initially feared.

As 9S told 21O about his day (while eating the baumkuchen), he commented, "I thought humans live in harmony with each other. Seems like that intel was wrong."

21O took a moment before answering. "I've heard that the humans are very unpredictable, so I am not as surprised about this. Maybe you should stay around more and learn the hearts of people, 9S."

"Yeah, but it doesn't add up that the intel would be wrong. They live in families and communities and work together in order to survive, though. So why would it lead to conflict?"

"9S, maybe you should remember that sometimes, there will be something that doesn't have an absolute answer," said the Operator gently.

"Okay, I'll remember that, Operator," 9S yielded.


	7. Chapter 7: Rising Dough?

**I'm sorry I wasn't able to post sooner! It's been quite a busy year so far, but here's another chapter for you guys!**

2B and 9S were wandering in town. They decided to explore a new part of town. A shop caught their eye, where a variety of pastries were displayed in glass cases. They stopped for a moment, watching the food.

"9S, is this what they call a bakery?" queried 2B, who was studying a tray of baumkuchen intently.

"Yeah, they sell bread and pastries. Do you think this shop is Shauna's?" replied 9S.

They entered the shop. The smell of freshly baked bread immediately entered their noses. So enticing was the aroma, they failed to notice someone greeting them. They snapped back to reality when he gave a cough.

"Welcome to Saint-Eclairs. Feel free to look around," said a man behind the counter, a little bewildered. He was a middle-aged man with cropped salt-and-pepper hair.

"Um, thanks; we were just so entranced by the environment," said 9S awkwardly. He noticed the man and Shauna bore similarities.

A small child tugged 2B's dress. "2B! I knew you would come sooner or later!" It was Sanna.

"I'm sorry, but do we know each other?" the man adjusted his wire glasses, watching the white-haired duo.

"Actually, we're next door neighbours, Mr Saint-Clair. It was Shauna who introduced us to Sanna," 2B explained, assuming the man to be the girls' father.

Mr Saint-Clair nodded in understanding. "I'm Alain Saint-Clair, and it's nice to meet you two," he introduced as he made his way to the pair, proffering his hand.

2B and 9S took it, introducing themselves in the process.

"Curious names," commented Alain.

"You can call me Nines if you want to," offered 9S.

"Sure, I'll call you that," said Alain as he led the guests to a small table. "Our bakery is also a café, and people like to unwind here after school or work. But there wouldn't be as many customers right now,"

Sanna vanished to the back of the shop, returning with steaming cups of tea.

"Thank you, Sanna, hold job by the way," praised Alain, "See, Sanna can do many things despite her young age," he intoned with a hint of pride.

"She sure is," agreed 9S. "Say, where's Shauna?"

"Shauna? She's in school, of course,"

2B passed 9S a questioning look.

"A school is an institute where children from age 7 receive education," whispered 9S.

2B nodded. Alain was puzzled at their exchange, but said nothing.

"Look, Mr Saint-Clair-" 9S began to say.

"Please, Alain is fine," interrupted the man.

"Look, Mr Alain," amended 9S, "it's just that we are from a distant region, so we're still learning a lot,"

"No, it's fine. It's a good thing to be constantly learning, don't you agree?" answered Alain cordially. "Actually, school is almost over, so Shauna should come here be here before long,"

"Why don't you try some new cakes Papa made while you wait?" suggested Sanna.

"That's a great idea," replied 2B.

Again Sanna left the table.

"Actually, thank you for befriending Shauna," confused Alain.

"Why is that?" 2B put down her teacup.

"She has been rather lonely and down lately. I wonder what happened to her in school?"

2B and 9S listened in silence, remembering the episode with the gangster, Travis.

Suddenly, the bakery's doors opened. "Welcome," said Alain automatically. "Oh, hello, Shauna. How was your day?"

Shauna was pleased to see her neighbours present. "I'm fine, Dad. How goes the shop?"

"Business as usual, I'd say. I was just taking to your friends over here,"

"Hey there, 2B and 9S. I see that you've finally stumbled upon our humble bakery," Shauna turned to the androids, flashing them a cheeky smile.

"The atmosphere here is really nice, I like it," commented 9S. 2B agreed.

"Hmm? That's good to hear." Shauna joined the table. "Is your school nearby?"

"Us? No, we don't attend school," said 9S.

"Yet," added 2B.

9S wondered how she knew he was interested in attending school. "Yeah, it's under process," he said, glancing at Alain. He seemed to catch on and winked at the android.

The doors opened again as customers entered, taking seats at their favourite tables.

"Well, please excuse me. It's going to get busier from now on, but enjoy your time here though," said Alain as he stood up.

"Do you need my help, Dad?" offered Shauna.

"I'll call you when the need arises," answered Alain.

Sanna returned with some cinnamon rolls. "I made those with Papa," said the girl proudly, earning a pat on the head by Shauna.

They all took one. The pastry has a melt-in-the-mouth quality, paired with a sweet-and-spicy harmony of icing sugar and cinnamon.

"It's amazing," said 2B.

"I second that," added 9S.

"Wow, this is really good, Sanna," praised Shauna.

Sanna giggled, her cheeks rosy.

9S decided to ask Shauna about school in order to get a good view of what it was like.

-

The bakery began to become hectic. 2B and 9S decided to excuse themselves.

Oh the way home, 9S imagined what he would do in school. He wondered about the knowledge he would be able to glean, and it kept him gung ho.

"Do you think we might also find out about what Mr Alain is worried about Shauna, if we went to her school?" asked 2B.

"Hmm, it could be a good way, since he wouldn't know what's going on in school," replied 9S.

-

"Let me guess: you want something from me," stated 21O nonchalantly.

"How'd you know?" responded 9S. He wondered why the women around him seemed to read his thoughts.

"Based on your behaviour, it is but a simple deduction,"

"Now that the cat's out of the bag, I'll tell you, then," 9S inhaled. "We'd like to go to school, Operator,"

"School?" repeated 21O. "Why would you want to go there?"

9S looked at 2B for support.

"We'd like to have a deeper understanding of the humans' lifestyles," 2B stepped in.

21O gave it a moment of thought. She typed something into her computer. A report to the Bunker, perhaps. 2B and 9S stood, thinking the Operator denied them of their wish.

Seconds later, the silence was broken. "The Commander has given the green light. Your documents will be ready by next week, and you are entering as transfer students," 21O turned away to face the standing pair.

9S was unable to control his excitement. He pulled the Operator into a quick hug. 2B smiled.

"But there's another thing," added 21O. "You have to pick a human name. Either that or the Bunker will pick one for you,"

"Can we have some time to think about this, Operator?" asked 9S.

"Of course. Do give me an answer as soon as possible," said 21O before she turned back to the computer.

-

"Why do you think we can't use our names in school?" questioned 9S as he powered up his gaming console.

"I guess having a number and an alphabet as a name is uncommon among humans," replied 2B. Kainé jumped onto her lap, settling itself.

"Can't I just be called Nines?"

2B scratched behind Kainé's ear. It nuzzled her. "That's more like a nickname," she said. "Nines," she added, almost inaudible.

"So, what would you name yourself, 2B?" asked 9S.

"That's a good question. I don't really know,"

"Same here," agreed 9S. "Maybe Jackass could've came up with cool names, but I wonder where she is right now,"

"Maybe we could ask A2 for advice instead. Book characters do have good names sometimes," suggested 2B.

9S thought for a while. "Good thinking, 2B. We should visit her, then,"


	8. Chapter 8: Class is in Session

**Here's the next chapter of 2B and 9S's story. Hope you enjoy!**

The school bell rang, signifying the end of class. It was break time, and students began to file into the school hall. Most of them were heading to the canteen.

Shauna, however, decided to stay in class. Retrieving a lunchbox from her bag, she opened it, peering at its contents. There were some eclairs and a packet of fruits. Eclairs were Alain's specialty, and he has spent years perfecting his very own recipe.

Shauna nibbled at the pastry, wondering what "secret ingredient" her father has added this time. He liked doing this, saying that it'd hone her sense of taste. It was also a method to get his daughter's opinion before deciding if said eclair can make it to the display cases of the bakery. Shauna surmised that her father added caramel this time.

She looked out of the windows. There were a few birds soaring about in the sky. She wondered if they were mocking her with how carefree they were.

Lunch break was over as soon as it started. Shauna cleared her table as she prepared for the next class. Her classmates began to enter the class in a steady flow, as though the sand flowing in an hourglass.

Their class teacher walked in. She waited for the students to settle down before she began to say anything.

"Alright, students, we'll be having two new transfer students joining our class," she said as she clapped her hands together.

"My prediction was right, there were new students coming in today after all," whispered a redheaded girl with wild hair to her desk mate.

The desk mate, with straight red hair, responded with "I've always wondered how you got information like this,"

The new students walked into the class.

"Wait, aren't they-" the first girl began to say.

"Let's just keep quiet and see how this pans out,"

Shauna was positively surprised. By saying they don't attend school yet, they're just under process of moving into her school, and share the same class as her, no less? _'The school uniform really suits them,'_ she thought.

"Please introduce yourselves," announced the teacher.

2B went first. "Good morning, everyone. I am Secunda Borealis. I am looking forward to spend the school year with you all,"

She stepped to the side as 9S came forward. "Hi everyone, I'm Nonus Scientia, and you can call me Nines. I hope we can all get along well,"

That being said, both the androids bowed. As the class clapped, the students began to talk about the newcomers among themselves.

"Secunda and Nonus will join us for two months, or maybe longer, so do your best to be of assistance to them. Secunda, Nonus, there are two tables prepared for you at the back, so please make yourselves comfortable," said the teacher. Turning to the class, she began to pick up from where they have left off.

"2B, did you spot Shauna anywhere?" 9S asked as he put the books on his table.

"Wasn't she near a pair of red-haired girls?" 2B answered as she caught said pair glancing at her. She recognised the pair. "Wait, aren't they from the Resistance Camp?"

"They're the ones who needed desert roses before, right? If they're right here, does that mean Anemone, Jackass and the others are fine?"

"I don't know, 9S. We can ask the questions later, so let's focus in class right now,"

-

The final school bell rang. The teachers wrapped up their classes and sent the students off. The redheaded twins approached the androids.

"Hey there," greeted Popola.

"Hello, Popola," replied 9S.

"Why pick Secunda and Nonus, when you could've just went by 2B and 9S?" Devola asked.

"Would it seem strange if we're addressed by our YoRHa code names?" 2B responded as she finished packing.

"That's true," agreed Devola. "Anyway, what brings you two here?"

9S decided to be cheeky. "I don't know, why are you here?"

"We figured that school would be the best place to expand our knowledge, and to watch the humans," answered Popola instead. "Anemone agreed on letting us study here," she added.

"There you have your answer," replied 9S.

2B was more interested in the latter information. "The people from the Resistance Camp are safe?"

"Yeah, Anemone leads them as a community," answered Devola.

"You should visit us sometime," added Popola. She pulled out a memo pad and jotted down the address. Tearing the page out before handing it to 2B, she said, "It's kind of far away, so you don't really need to oblige yourself to come,"

"Then why bother giving them the address?" Devola asked indignantly.

"We'll visit you guys, so don't worry about that, Devola," said 9S.

There was a pause. "You promised, okay? You'd better fulfill it. Come, Popola, let's go home now," said Devola finally, as she made her way to the door.

Popola waved at the androids before following suit.

2B folded the paper and carefully tucked it into her blazer pocket. She picked up her schoolbag and rose from her seat. "Come on, 9S. There's no sense for us to be dawdling here,"

When they exited the school, they noticed Shauna waiting at the front gate.

"Who are you waiting for?" 9S asked.

"Oh, I'm just waiting for you two since I didn't have the chance to talk to you today," answered Shauna.

"We can talk on the way home, so let's go," suggested 9S.

-

 **Bonus** *

"... wake up..."

"...9S..."

I'm immobilized. I can't even hack into my own system to troubleshoot the problems.

' _Do you really love 2B?_ '

What? Of course I do.

... This voice sounds familiar. To be honest, this setup itself feels familiar. Have I done this before?

' _Are you sure?_ '

Why would I doubt it? Yeah, it might be one-sided, but who knows? I might be able to win her heart over. I can try and try.

' _Even at the cost that she'll break you over and over, or even kill you?_ '

Why'd she do this to me? Is there a reason for her to do so?

I still could not hack into my system, no matter how hard I tried.

Someone grabbed my shoulders. The darkness has dissipated. Adam stood before me, his scarlet eyes betraying no emotion. I remember now. The voice belonged to him.

"Hasn't it always been your goal to * her? Go, do it," he cajoled.

No! I'll never do that! Why would I do this to someone I love? Adam is lying. I'm sure of it.

Adam's eyes glowed as he repeated the words "kill" over and over again. He began to shake me violently.

-

"Nines? Nines, wake up! You're going to be late for school!"

I finally managed to open my eyes. 2B was gripping my shoulders, her sky blue eyes telling me that she was beginning to become annoyed. Or was it worried? She shook me once more.

"Stop!" I managed to blurt. I've become dizzy. When I've returned to normal, 2B let me go.

She was in full uniform, which was a white shirt and a black tie underneath a black blazer. The blazer has two red lines running at the cuff, and also on the edges of the lapels. The school emblem was emblazoned on the left sleeve. 2B also wore a pleated thigh length skirt.

"If you don't mind me saying, you're really beautiful in the school uniform," I said.

2B seemed to have softened for a second, but all of it was replaced by steel. "I don't have time for empty flattery, 9S. Now change, quickly,"

She left my room. I noticed a fresh pair of uniform hanging at the door. It was ironed well, without a wrinkle in sight. 21O must've hung it there after I'd retired for the night.

-

"Ah, 9S. What took you so long? I shall be accompanying you there today since there are still some issues left to be cleared up," said 21O after giving my uniform an once over. There was a folder under her arms.

"What's in the folder, Operator?" I pointed at them.

"They're the papers necessary for your transfer into the school, of course," she answered matter-of-factly. "Come now, we mustn't waste any more time,"

Kainé looked sad that we weren't able to bring it along. I patted its head affectionately before leaving for school.

 **I couldn't think of any other surnames for 9S, so I decided to borrow Ignis's. What should the androids do with Devola and Popola?**


	9. Acting roles

**Hey there everyone! Sorry for the delay but here's the new installment.** The class was bustling. A topic was hot on everyone's lips: the upcoming school play scheduled for the coming week. How would the cast be picked? Who would star the roles?

"2B, 9S, have you seen a play before?" asked Shauna.

An image of Romeos and Juliets fighting each other to their demise surfaced abruptly. The acrid smell of machine machine oil returned to the androids' noses. _All that for some stamp._

"I suppose so?" answered 9S. "But then again, why's the school so willing to send students to perform gladiatorial combat onstage? Isn't this prohibited or something?"

Shauna was dumbfounded. "What gladiatorial combat?"

2B stepped in. "9S is confused, is all,"

"But 2B-" the boy protested.

2B turned to Shauna. "What's the title of our play?"

"It's Romeo and Juliet, 2B,"

"2B, they're not gonna fight to death, are they?" protested 9S.

"Shauna, can you tell us about the play?" Ignoring the boy, 2B continued her questions.

"Oh? You've never heard of the story?" Shauna cocked her head.

"Sorry, we haven't,"

"From what I know, this play was written by a man named Shakespeare, like, a few hundred thousand years ago, I guess. It's about a forbidden couple who kinda ends up dying together," explained Shauna, "it's quite the popular play, but the book is pretty boring," confessed the girl.

"That's tragic," commented 2B.

"Well, yeah. Our class is picked to perform this year. Naturally, everyone would want to play Romeo or Juliet, right?"

"I don't see why, though, seeing that we have to do lots of rehearsals and such," complained 9S.

"Maybe so," Shauna began to say.

Just then, the English teacher entered. Everyone scuttled back to their respective seats.

"Good morning, class. As you have heard, you'll all take part in this year's school play. So, all of you have to play your own part to ensure the school witnesses the best play. Without further ado, let's proceed with the formalities," said Miss Echidna.

Everyone waited with bated breath.

"I'm sure everybody wants to be the protagonists, no? We'll be drawing lots to determine your roles,"

Miss Echidna held out a box. Strips of paper dictating the roles were its contents. She walked around the class, allowing the students to select a piece.

"I'm sure everyone has a piece now, so go on, open them," encouraged the teacher.

The students' reactions were mostly disappointed because they didn't hit the jackpot. ' _Perhaps they were assigned other roles_ ,' noted 2B. In her hand, her strip had a single word. _Costume_.

She leaned over to 9S. "What'd you get, Nines?"

9S was silent. He held out his strip. _Romeo_ , it said.

2B stifled a giggle. "Good for you, Nines."

The boy's face flushed. "Well what about you?"

"I'm ' _costume_ '. Not sure what it means, though,"

"Maybe you're one of the people who has to prepare the costumes," speculated 9S.

Miss Echidna had just written down the roles onto the whiteboard.

"Alright, class, are we ready for the big reveal?" she asked.

The students answered with an enthusiastic cheer.

"Let's start with Romeo."

9S raised his hand. The class clapped.

"Ah, congratulations, Nonus. Now then, who's Juliet?" said the teacher as she wrote down 9S's name onto the board, next to Romeo's name.

Popola's hand was in the air. The class clapped again. The process continued until all the roles were filled.

"Class, I hope all of you are satisfied with your roles. Now, let us work together to give the best performance we have. I will now explain each of your roles, so listen closely,

"Everyone who has speaking roles, please see me after class. The class will begin now," said the teacher as she concluded the play's necessities and opened the textbook.

"Good luck, Nines," 2B chuckled.

"It's not like I really wanted it though," 9S looked away.

"If you say so," 2B said as she opened her textbook.

 **I will break this chapter into a few parts, so stay tuned for the next part!**


End file.
